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01/03/2012

EP Review: Young Men Dead

Young Men Dead are a four-piece alternative/psychedelic rock band based in Brimingham, and having recently released their eponymous debut EP, they are currently cutting their teeth gigging around the Midlands.

Although members Christian Vivash, Ben Calvert, Liam Corbett and Davis Armstrong hail from the ex-industrial Black Country, famous for it's musical heritage and legendary bands like Black Sabbath, their music sadly doesn't quite live up to its steeped historical surroundings.

Their EP, comprised of three tracks, has a sludgy feel to it, particularly in I Can't See The Ocean, which is a slow-building, minimalistic dirge heavy on repetitive guitar chords and the doom-laden bass line. The War Of Young Men opens with an upbeat, distorted guitar riff with a sound and style similar to Sheffield's Arctic Monkeys. Suck The Blood Into The Bruise also features distinct, Alex Turner-esque vocals (particularly in their more recent recordings when Turner adopted the leather jacket and quiff, look).

The musicality on the EP is not much to write home about, especially regarding the production side. When listening to a band who describe themselves as 'psychedelic', I expect a certain degree of...psychedelia. The songs are good, and do express some hints of potentially progressive songwriting, but I can't help feeling that some colour and definition between parts could have really brought this EP to life.